American
Hash Brown Breakfast Skillet
Shredded potatoes fry into a hash brown cake, then eggs and cheddar finish the skillet with no meat in the pan. The potato layer needs room to dry out, and crowding it leaves you with steamed shreds instead of a crust.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
Why you’ll love it
- Squeezed potatoes fry in oil alone, so the crust does not depend on meat drippings.
- Four eggs on one cake divide into four wedges without a second pan.
- Cheddar melts under a lid, so you stay on the stove.
- Green onion is added at the end and stays bright against the browned hash.
Ingredients
Ingredient amounts scale. Oven temperature and cook time do not. Salt, spices, and leaveners are a starting point after you scale. Taste and adjust.
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Instructions
- 1
Toss the shredded potatoes with the salt, then squeeze them hard in a towel until they stop dripping.
- 2
Heat the oil in a large oven-safe or covered skillet over medium.
- 3
Spread the potatoes in an even layer and cook until the underside is deeply browned, about 10 minutes, then flip in sections and brown the other side.
- 4
Crack the eggs onto the hash, season with pepper, and cover the skillet.
- 5
Cook until the whites are set and the yolks are as firm as you want, about 4 to 6 minutes.
- 6
Scatter the cheddar and green onion over the eggs, cover again for 1 minute so the cheese melts, and cut into 4 wedges.
Pro tips
- Wet potatoes will not crust; the towel step is the whole trick.
- Leave the cake alone long enough to brown before you flip.
- If a yolk breaks, keep going; it still sets under the cheddar.
Easy substitutions
- Sharp cheddar
- Pepper Jack
- Russet potatoes
- Yukon gold potatoes
- Green onion
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Storage and reheating
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to 3 days.
Reheating
Reheat in a covered skillet over medium-low heat with a few drops of water until the eggs are hot and the potatoes crisp again.
Nutrition
Estimates per serving, using standard ingredient averages and rounded to the nearest gram. This is not a lab analysis, and it shifts if you change brands or add sides.
- Calories
- 410
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 38 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fiber
- 3 g
Moderate · Stovetop · Vegetarian
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From the kitchen
Kitchen tools we love
Practical tools these recipes actually use. This is not a review roundup, and these are not paid placements. If affiliate links are added later, they will be labeled and disclosed.
A heavy 12-inch skillet
Most of the chicken and steak recipes are written for one pan that holds heat. Stainless or cast iron both work.
An air fryer with a real basket
The air-fryer recipes expect a single layer. A crowded basket steams instead of browning.
A half-sheet pan
Drumsticks, potatoes, sausage, and carrots all use one. A dark pan browns faster than a very shiny one.
A sharp chef’s knife
These recipes do not need a specialty blade. A sharp 8-inch knife is faster and safer than a dull one.
A large cutting board
Big enough that the onion and the raw chicken are not sharing the same puddle.
Dry cups and a liquid cup
Desserts in particular expect level dry measures and a separate cup for milk.
An instant-read thermometer
Use it for poultry, pork chops, and meatloaf. Color is a weak guide.
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